Beginner Directions for Solving the 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube

These directions will help you to solve the 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube. To begin, we will learn the faces of the cube.The picture to the right shows a cube with letters. These letters correspond to the face they are on. Every move in this guide will use these letters. For every move, there is a symbol. This symbol will tell you which way to turn the face. In this guide I will use two symbols

2 Double Turn. This means, look at the side and turn it twice. ' Counter Clockwise Turn. This means, look at the side and turn once counter clockwise.

These symbols will always be found after the face letter. If a face letter has no symbol after it, then it means, look at the side and turn one clockewise. Here is an example of a move: U R2 L' In words, this means, look at the U side and turn once clockwise, look at the R side and turn twice, look at the L side and turn once counter clockwise.

Step One: Making a Cross on the U Side

Step one is to make a cross on the U side. This cross will be made up of the edge pieces of the U side.(An edge piece is a cube piece with two stickers on it. It will be called by the stickers on it) To start, find an edge piece with a white sticker on it. You have to match the white sticker up on the white side. This is not hard. After you have one edge piece in place, find another piece. Again, you must place it in to the white side, but it now must be in the right place.

For Example: Lets say that you placed the White-Green edge on the white side. Then, you find the White-Blue edge and you want to put it on the white side also. You want to place it opposite the White-Green edge or else it will not match up when the cross is finished. You should now have at least two edge pieces in place. Continue putting edge pieces into place until all four are on top and in their correct places. Congratulations, you finished step one!

Step Two: Solving the U side Corners

In this step, we will finish solving the "first layer" by solving the U corners. When finished with this step, your cube will look like the cube to the left.

To start, find a corner piece with a white sticker on it. Obviously if it is already on the white side and in the right place, then there is nothing to do to it, find another. If not, then the corner piece must be on the D side. Since there are three stickers on a corner piece, there are three ways that it can be turned, meaing three different moves. The corner may also be on the U side without the white sticker being on the white side. Use one of the moves below to put it on the D side, then find the move which will correctly put it in to the the U side.

Move 2a

This move will place the corner into the U side without disturbing the cross if the white sticker of the corner is on the F side.

D' R' D R

Move 2b

This move will place the corner into the U side without disturbing the cross if the white sticker of the corner is on the R side

R' D' R

Move 2c

This move will place the corner into the U side without disturbing the cross if the white sticker of the corner is on the D side

R' D2 R D R' D' R

Continue using the moves above until all four corners are in the correct place with the white stickers on the U face. Congratulations, you solved the first layer!

Step 3: Solving the second layer

In this step, we will be placing the four edges of the second layer into their correct places. When this step is over, your cube will look like the cube to the left. There are two moves for this step, one if the F color is on the D face, and one for it is is not.

Move 3a

If the F color of the edge you are trying to place is on the D face use this move

D2 F D' F' D' R' D R

Move 3b

If the F color of the edge you are trying to place is not on the D face use this move

D' R' D R D F D' F'

Continue using these moves until all four edge pieces are in place. Congratulations, you finished the second layer! Two steps to go!

Step 4: D Corners

In this step, we will place the D corners. Note: For clarity, I have turn the cube to show the D side as the F side. However, in the moves below, the WHITE face is still the U face. When you are finished with this step, your cube will look like the one to the left. This step is seperated into two parts. Part one permutates(puts in the right place) the corners, and part two orients(makes the colors match up) the corners.

Step 4: Part One: Permutating the D Corners

This step has only one move currently. This move switchs two corners on the same side. Use this move as many times as needed. Sometimes, if you turn the D side, you do not have to use this move so many times. You are trying to get the corners into the correct place. Don't worry about matching up the colors now. That is part two.

Move 4.1a

This move will switch the two D corners on the F side. Remember, the white side is the U side

R' D' R F D F' R' D R D2

Step 4: Part Two: Orient the D Corners

This move has only two moves, but they are reverses of each other, so technically it is only one move. There are eight different orientation patterns that the D corners can be in, but I am only going to cover two of them. Use either of these moves until one of the two cases I define appears. Note: After completing this step, all the corners of the entire cube are in the right place. If only one corner is not, then your cube has been taken apart and put back together wrong. You must take it apart and fix it or else you can not solve the cube.

Move 4.2a

This move will rotate 3 of the 4 D corners counter clockwise. Notice that one corner does not get rotated.

R' D' R D' R' D2 R D2

Move 4.2b

This move will rotate the corners clockwise. Again, only three corners are rotated. Note that this move is the reverse of Move 4.2a

D2 R' D2 R D R' D R

Use these two moves until the corners are solved. Some day when I get a chance I will write the solutions to the other 6 combinations, but until then, work with these. Congratualtions, you are one step away from solving the cube!

Step 5: Orient and Permutate the D edges

This step has three moves, but there are many different combinations. Use these moves until one of the three cases listed below appears. The first two moves rotates three edge pieces and orients them two as long as they are in the position in the moves below. Again, remember, White is still the U face

Move 5a

This move orients all three edges while rotating them counter clockwise.

R L' F' R' L D2 R L' F' R' L

Move 5b

This move will rotate the three edges clockwise and orient them too.

F L B' L' B F' D B D' B'

Move 5c

Use this move if all four edges are permutated correctly, but oriented incorrectly

B' D2 B D' R D F L D2 L' D F' D' R'

Congratulations, You have solved the Rubik's Cube!!!

You have now finished the 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube. If you would like to email me to thank me or ask a question. email to: pjgat09@yahoo.com.

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Thank you to: Mathew Monroe: jjorg.chem.unc.edu/personal/monroe/ Rubik's Cube: www.Rubiks.com Rubiks Player: http://www.randelshofer.ch/

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This page last updated on 2/26/05